• Start Here
  • About Christina – Juggling Real Food and Real Life
    • Companies I Work With
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Juggling Real Food and Real Life

Real Food. Real Life. Real Fun.

  • Home
  • Real Food Recipes and More!
    • Easy and Delicious Recipes for Busy Mamas
      • Real Food Beverages
      • Real Food Breakfast Recipes
      • Real Food Lunchbox Favorites Recipes
      • Real Food Dinner Recipes
      • Real Food Soup Recipes
      • Real Food Fruit/Vegetable Side Recipes
      • Real Food Snack Recipes
      • Real Food Dessert and Healthy Treat Recipes
      • Real Food Crock Pot Recipes
    • Plan Your Meals
    • Real Food Tips and Tricks
    • Kids In The Kitchen
    • Pantry Essentials
  • Shop Juggling Real Food and Real Life
  • Welcome to the 10-Week Real Food Journey!
  • Real Life
    • Freedom From Clutter in 40 Days
    • Life is a Celebration!
      • Celebrate Fall!
      • Celebrate Senior Year!
      • Celebrate Winter & Holiday Joy
      • Celebrate Birthdays!
  • School Lunch
    • School Lunch Starter Set
  • Youth Sports Parenting
    • The Dance Mom Hub
    • The Soccer Mom Hub

Real Food

Football Season – A Real Food Setback – Juggling Real Food and Real Life

So………..I’ve discovered I’m not perfect.  OK, you can stop laughing now.  I have been having a great time letting all of my readers know about all of the great improvement my family has made in our REAL Food journey.  I would love everyone to think that I made a decision to eat REAL Food and then just did it.  Unfortunately, that is not really how it has worked out for my family.  Don’t get me wrong…….we have made a drastic change in how we eat on a regular basis.  I shop differently, I prepare most of the food we eat and I haven’t eaten fast food since June.   Summer was a great time to get started with the Farmers Markets being open and so many wonderful choices in season.

That brings us to September. And here comes my favorite team…………My family has been going to Friday night high school football games for years.  My oldest son was a sousaphone player in the marching band and my 15 year old is a football player.  We love our football and marching bands!  Our Friday tradition includes racing home from work to change into our team colors.  We then either go to the local high school or travel for away games.  Without thinking………..I followed our regular tradition and suddenly found myself in a tough spot.  I found myself sitting in the bleachers without having fed my family and without a plan to feed them.  I was horrified!  I couldn’t believe I had failed to plan in such a big way!


My only food source was the concession stand.  While these concession stands are great fund raisers for lots of great organizations, they are not necessarily meccas for REAL Food enthusiasts.  I did not see a whole grain or vegetable ( organic or otherwise ) on the menu.  I did see pizza, hot dogs, candy and pop.  And let me tell you……..kids don’t instantly just want to give this stuff up just because Mom says we are eating REAL Food now.  The kids were beyond excited at their choices and quickly fell back into old habits.  What the heck was I supposed to do?  What would my REAL Food idols do?  Did this mean that we were going back to our old ways for good?

 

I suppose I could have told the kids that we were not going to eat till we got home after the game, but I decided that was not a very good idea.  The kids eat their lunches rather early and the game is over quite late.  In the end, I decided to not panic and just sit back and enjoy the game and half-time show.  I allowed the kids to pretty much eat what they wanted, letting them know that this would not be an every day thing for them.  Each week as we attend games, I still watch out for artificial colors as much as I can, but I do let them eat pizza and hot dogs.  I cringe every time I see it, but I know that they eat wonderful foods at least 80% of the time.  That is pretty darn good.  I’ve come to terms with this new rule.  We attempt to eat REAL Foods 80% of the time.  In actuality, we are probably closer to 95% of the time now.  That is something I can live with.  I’m not perfect and I’m OK with that.  Go TEAM!!
Thanks for checking in with us.  If you don’t want to miss the next episode, please subscribe at the right of our page.  You can also join in as a member at the bottom of the page.  Please share you comments with us.  We love to have an interactive REAL Food learning community.  You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page.

 

 


1 Comment

« Meal Planning – You Have to Have A Plan To Juggle
Whole Grains – Why Are They Healthy For Us? – Juggling Real Food and Real Life »

Comments

  1. rayan says

    August 3, 2025 at 10:03 am

    I totally relate to how football season can throw off even the best real food plans! It’s great to see you giving yourself grace and finding balance—football nights are meant to be fun, and 80–95% real food is a huge win

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

logo
Food Advertisements by

Let’s Get Social!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome!

Too much to do and too little time? I'm here to help you get real food to the table and keep your sanity.

Let me help you find what you are looking for.

Make a positive change in your life!

 

Kids In The Kitchen

SPONSORS

logo
Food Advertisements by

Latest from our Instagram

Let’s celebrate some real-life wins today! 🎉 Let’s celebrate some real-life wins today! 🎉
Week 2 is all about building on what we started in Week 1 — making those small swaps that add up to big changes.
So tell me… what’s one processed food you’ve swapped out this week?
Maybe you traded boxed cereal for overnight oats or salad dressing for a homemade version. Drop your swap in the comments — I’d love to cheer you on!
Real life isn’t perfect. Real food isn’t fancy Real life isn’t perfect. Real food isn’t fancy. But real moms? They make it all work.
Instagram post 18082147837808936 Instagram post 18082147837808936
You’re not just juggling food and life — you’re keeping the whole circus running. Take a bow, Mama.
My favorite sight and sound after a long day at wo My favorite sight and sound after a long day at work. What’s for dinner at your house tonight?
🧡It’s Taylor Alison Swift day!! How am I expe 🧡It’s Taylor Alison Swift day!! How am I expected to be working today?? Do you  have a favorite song yet? 🧡 #taylorswift #lifeofashowgirl #lifeofashowgirl🧡 #tayloralisonswift
Goodbye September. Welcome October!! How are you e Goodbye September. Welcome October!! How are you enjoying all of cozy vibes this season?  #fall #cozy #cozyvibesonly #fallvibes🍁
What’s harder: figuring out what’s for dinner What’s harder: figuring out what’s for dinner OR packing school lunches?
What’s one meal you are planning this week that What’s one meal you are planning this week that your family will actually eat?
Follow on Instagram
logo
Food Advertisements by

Serwall

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Week 4: Eat Two Fruits or Veggies with Each Meal

Snack Swaps Made Simple: How to Read Labels and Choose Better Options

An Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish: More Time with Family, Less Time in the Kitchen

Snack Smarter: High-Protein Mini Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Tuna

Week 3: Read Food Labels — The Eye-Opening Truth About What’s Really in Your Food

Want more? Check out the archives.

Copyright © 2025 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in